Automated pest warning and eradication system

ABSTRACT

Apparatuses, methods and systems provide technology to detect a pest-related fault or failure of an electronic control unit (ECU). The technology may also detect a presence of one or more pests via cameras, LiDAR sensors, RADAR sensors, motion sensors, one or more sound sensors, or one or more heat sensors. The technology may also provide countermeasures to disable, remove or eradicate the pests from the vehicle. The countermeasures may include one or more of a laser to target small pests, an electrical discharge insect control system to exterminate insects, and a vibration or sound emission system to target rodents.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments generally relate to vehicle controls. More particularly,embodiments relate to the detection and eradication of pests within orproximate a vehicle.

BACKGROUND

Modern vehicles utilize extensive electrical systems to control andmanage various vehicle functions. The electrical systems often includean electric control unit (ECU) that control one or more of theelectrical systems or subsystems in the vehicle. Some modern vehiclesinclude numerous ECUs, often seventy-five (75) or more. The systems andsubsystems controlled by the ECUs include critical safety systems.Damage to an ECU may lead to short-circuits, errors or malfunctions ofthe systems or subsystems which may present safety hazards. Damage tothe ECUs are often caused by pests and rodents including, for example,ants, mosquitos, spiders, squirrels, rats, mice, snakes, and the like.Due to the critical functions performed by the ECUs, preventing damageto the ECUs is important to maintaining a properly and safelyfunctioning vehicle. Further, pests and rodents may also present asafety hazard by distracting or frightening the driver of the vehicle.Detecting the presence of pests and alerting the driver may also help toavoid unsafe conditions.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In one embodiment, a vehicle pest detection and eradication systemincludes a fault detection subsystem to detect an error or failure of anelectronic control unit (ECU), wherein the error or failure isdetermined to be consistent with a pest-related failure, a sensordetection subsystem to detect a presence of one or more pests, whereinthe sensor detection subsystem includes one or more of: one or morecameras, one or more LiDAR sensors, one or more RADAR sensors, one ormore motion sensors, one or more sound sensors, or one or more heatsensors, and an eradication subsystem to provide countermeasures todisable, remove or eradicate the one or more pests from the vehicle.

In another embodiment, at least one computer readable storage mediumcomprises a set of instructions, which when executed by a computingsystem, cause the computing system to detect, via a fault detectionsubsystem, an error or failure of an electronic control unit (ECU),wherein the error or failure is determined to be consistent with apest-related failure, detect, via a sensor detection subsystem, thepresence of one or more pests, wherein the sensor detection subsystemincludes one or more of: one or more cameras, one or more LiDAR sensors,one or more RADAR sensors, one or more motion sensors, one or more soundsensors, or one or more heat sensors, and provide, via an eradicationsubsystem, countermeasures to disable, remove or eradicate the one ormore pests from the vehicle.

In yet another embodiment, a method of operating a vehicle pestdetection and eradication system includes detecting, via a faultdetection subsystem, an error or failure of an electronic control unit(ECU), wherein the error or failure is determined to be consistent witha pest-related failure, detecting, via a sensor detection subsystem, thepresence of one or more pests, wherein the sensor detection subsystemincludes one or more of: one or more cameras, one or more LiDAR sensors,one or more RADAR sensors, one or more motion sensors, one or more soundsensors, or one or more heat sensors, and providing, via an eradicationsubsystem, countermeasures to disable, remove or eradicate the one ormore pests from the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The various advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure willbecome apparent to one skilled in the art by reading the followingspecification and appended claims, and by referencing the followingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example of a portion of a vehicleaccording to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example of a vehicle pest detection anderadication system according to an embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an example of a method of operating a vehiclepest detection and eradication system according to an embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an example of a method of maintaining a vehiclein a safe state according to an embodiment; and

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an example of a method of uplinking and sharingdata according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Turning now to FIG. 1, a portion of a vehicle (e.g., car, taxi, shuttle,truck, van, sport utility vehicle/SUV, aircraft, etc.) 100 is shown inwhich a vehicle pest detection and eradication system 130 isimplemented. Vehicle 100 may have one or more electronic control units(ECUs) 110 that control one or more vehicle systems or subsystems 120(herein collectively referred to as “vehicle system(s)”). The ECUs 110may be a module, controller, microcontroller, processor, embeddedelectronics system, and the like, or any combination thereof. Thevehicle systems 120 may include but are not limited to, for example, anengine control unit (ECU), transmission control unit (TCU), powertraincontrol module (PCM), electric power steering control unit (PSCU), brakecontrol module (BCM), anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic slip orstability control (ESC), speed control unit (SCU), telematics controlunit (TCU), human-machine interface (HMI), door control unit (DCU),battery management system (BMS), seat control unit, and the like. In atleast some embodiments, the vehicle systems 120 may perform manyimportant and/or critical operations that ensure the safe and properoperation of the vehicle 100. Vehicle systems 120 (and relatedelectrical components) are often damaged or compromised by pests and/orrodents (not shown) (hereinafter collectively referred to as “pest(s)”)including, for example, ants, mosquitos, spiders, squirrels, rats, mice,snakes, other insects and rodents, and the like, that may invade,occupy, infest, or nest in the vehicle 100. Some pests have been foundto seek the shelter, cover, safety, warmth, or cooling offered within oraround the vehicle 120 including within the passenger compartment andwithin the engine compartment. Pests have also been known to eat, gnaw,fray, bend, split, and destroy electrical components of vehicles such asan ECU 110 or a vehicle system 120, as well as associated componentssuch as wires, cables, chips, modules, etc. Due to many factorsincluding location and size, the damage to the ECU 110 or vehicle system120 caused may not be readily apparent. Pests (e.g., mosquitos, ants,flying insects, etc.) have also been found to be attracted by/tooccupants of vehicles (i.e., drivers and passengers), and present anuisance by annoying and/or distracting the occupants. Accordingly, thepests present potential safety hazards. Based at least on the foregoing,quickly detecting a fault or error in the vehicle systems 120, anddetecting and eradicating pests within or proximate the vehicle 120would promote vehicle, driver and passenger safety by mitigatingpotential dangers.

In the illustrated example, the vehicle pest detection and eradicationsystem 130 includes a fault detection subsystem 140, a sensor array 150,eradication devices 160, a driver warning subsystem 170, and a machinelearning subsystem 180. The fault detection subsystem 140 detects anerror or failure of one or more ECUs 110 or vehicle systems 120. Thefault detection subsystem 140 may include, for example, fault detectiontechnology to detect a fault or failure in one or more ECUs 110 orvehicle systems 120. The fault detection technology may be implementedin logic instructions (e.g., software), configurable logic,fixed-functionality hardware logic, etc., or any combination thereof.The fault may be a random, unexpected or abnormal condition or defectdetected in an ECU 110 or vehicle system 120 (including a component orsubsystem) that may lead to a failure or malfunction. A failure may bean unsatisfactory condition or state of inoperability for performing anintended function detected in an ECU 110 or vehicle system 120(including a component or subsystem). The faults and failures may beassociated with wear, abrasion, or deterioration that cause changes inthe physical or electrical properties of the ECU 110 or vehicle system120. The fault detection technology may, for example, perform a lookupof known or expected physical or electrical properties (e.g.,temperature, voltage, current, charge state, resistance, etc.) andprovide an alert when the physical or electrical properties are found tobe inconsistent with an expected reading or are outside a known orexpected range. The expected reading may be based, for example, on apredetermined threshold reading or range. The lookup may be performedperiodically, continually, or upon initiation based on user preferences.In at least some examples, the lookup may also be performed manually bya user via a user interface (UI). The alert may also trigger anadditional lookup of known or expected causes including conditions thatare known to be consistent with pest-related damage based on thephysical or electrical properties (e.g., temperature spikes, temperaturefluctuations, short-circuits, partial short-circuits, voltage drops,etc.).

The sensor array 150 may include one or more of various detectorsincluding, for example, cameras 150 a, LiDAR sensors 150 b, RADARsensors 150 c, motion sensors 150 d, sound sensors 150 e, heat sensors150 f, or other sensors 150 e such as temperature, thermal, infrared(IR), ultrasonic, proximity, and the like, to detect the presence ofand/or identify one or more pests. The presence of pests may be definedby a pest being detected within a designated area of the vehicle 100(e.g., within a passenger cabin or compartment, within the enginecompartment, etc.), or by a pest being detected within a pre-determinedproximity to the vehicle 100 (e.g., within 5 feet, within 10 feet,within 20 feet, etc.). The sensor array 150 may be arranged throughoutthe vehicle 100 including in the passenger compartment, in the enginecompartment, near ECUs, on the exterior of the vehicle, etc. The sensorsof the sensor array 150 may be trained, focused or calibrated to detectactivity at or near the ECUs 110, within the passenger compartment, ator near the entry and exit points to the passenger compartment, at ornear the entry and exit points to the engine compartment or within adetermined proximity of the vehicle 100 (e.g., within 5-10 feet, within10-20 feet, within 20-30 feet, etc.) in order to detect activity ofpests at or near those locations. The cameras 150 a may capture an imageand/or perform image recognition to identify one or more pests via alookup database (not shown). Other known methods for performingidentification may also be used. The LIDAR sensors 150 b may generatethree-dimensional (3D) representations (i.e., images) that may be usedto compare with representations of known pests via the lookup database.The RADAR sensors 150 c, motion sensors 150 d, sound sensors 150 e, heatsensors 150 f, and other sensors 150 g may also be used to detect thepresence and movement of pests in a similar manner. The various sensorsmay be used in any number, and may be used redundantly to validate andimprove the accuracy of the detection such that appropriatecountermeasures may be considered and presented to the driver/user foractivation.

The device array 160 may include one or more eradication devicesincluding, for example, lasers 160 a, electrical discharge insectcontrol systems (i.e., “bug zappers”) 160 b, a vibration or soundemission system 160 c, physical barriers (e.g., air locks) 160 d, and acontrol substance system 160 e. The eradication devices 160 may beselected based on a variety of factors including, for example, the sizeof the pests, location of the pests (i.e., within the passengercompartment, within the engine compartment, near an ECU, etc.),proximity of the pests to the vehicle, number of pests detected,aggressiveness of the pests (e.g., based on activity, speed, number,user input, etc.). Devices are selected to avoid causing any harm,damage or injury other than to the intended pests. Special care is to begiven to prevent damage, injury, and/or discomfort to people, pets, orproperty (including the vehicle and any components). These aspects willbe discussed further below.

Upon detection, the eradication devices 136 may be used to deter,discourage, disable, target, exterminate, remove, or eradicate thedetected pests. An electrical discharge insect control system may beused, for example, upon detection, to exterminate flying insects such asmosquitoes, house flies, and the like. One or more lasers may be used,for example, upon detection, to target one or more small pests such ascrawling bugs, spiders, mice, and the like. One or more of a vibrationor sound emission system may be used, for example, upon detection, totarget one or more large pests such as squirrels, rats, snakes, andother rodents. In at least some embodiments, the eradication devices 160may include one or more physical barriers used to prevent pest fromaccessing one or more ECUs 110 or other vehicle systems 120. Thephysical barriers may include air locks that prevent the pests frompassing through a prohibited or restricted area such as an entry pointto an ECU or an entry point to an area containing an ECU. In at leastsome embodiments, the eradication devices 160 may include a controlsubstance system 160 e to release a substance such as a gas, liquidspray, or deterrent material in or around the vehicle. The substance mayhave qualities or characteristics (e.g., foul smell, induces nausea,causes irritation, etc.) that controls, discourages, deters,immobilizes, or poisons the pest. The substance is selected anddelivered in a suitable strength and duration to satisfactorilyremediate the detected pests without causing harm, damage or injuryother than to the intended pests. The control substance system 160 e maybe used, for example, upon detection, of many pests (e.g., aninfestation of flying pests) or a variety of pests (e.g., mosquitoes,flying insects, ants, etc.).

The eradication devices 160 are to be selected and used with specialcare to prevent damage, injury, and/or discomfort to people, pets, orproperty (including the vehicle and any components or contents of thevehicle). Further, the control substance system 160 e is to be activatedonly after a user lockout of the vehicle is initiated including, forexample, closing and locking one or more of all entry points to thevehicle as appropriate for a selected eradication including all doors,windows, engine compartment, trunk/cargo areas, and the like. Upondelivery of the control substance(s), the vehicle is to be ventilatedfor a period of time before the user lockout is terminated to allow thesubstance(s) to be completely evacuated from the passenger cabin. Othervehicle systems including an HVAC system may also be utilized to assistwith removing/evacuating the substance(s) from the passenger cabin andwith delivering clean, fresh air to the passenger cabin beforeterminating the user lockout. These aspects will be discussed furtherbelow.

The driver warning system 170 may provide a warning of the presence andseverity of the one or more pests. Upon detection of pests, the driverwarning system 170 may cause a warning, alert, or notification to beissued to a driver (or passenger or user) of the vehicle 100 via adisplay, user interface (UI), human-machine interface (HMI), or similarcomponent. The warning may provide a general category of pests detectedor specify (i.e., with particularity) the pests detected. The warningmay also provide a severity of the presence of the pests detected (i.e.,minor, low, moderate, high, severe, etc.). The indicated severity maycorrelate roughly with an infestation level within or near the vehicle,and may trigger one or more countermeasures (i.e., one or more specificremedial actions) including activating or recommending the activation ofone or more of the eradication devices, and/or alerting an additionalaction (e.g., close all windows immediately, or take no immediateremedial action but monitor further).

The machine learning subsystem 180 may be used to improve the vehiclepest detection and eradication system 130. In at least some embodiments,the machine learning subsystem 180 may receive information from thesensor array 150, the fault detection subsystem 140, and/or warningsubsystem 170. The machine learning subsystem 180 may analyze thereceive information related to the location, nature, and/or severity ofdetected faults, detected pests, and the effectiveness of theeradication devices in order to improve the detection and eradicationsystem 130. As an example, in response to a malfunction detected in oron an internal piece of an ECU or across several ECUs around the samelocation, the machine learning subsystem 180 may determine that thedamage was caused by a pest and save the learned information for futureuse.

The machine learning system 180 may also receive information from one ormore other vehicles and process the received information to determinepatterns in pest populations (e.g., whether the populations arechanging) in an area in which the vehicle is located (or will be locatedbased on a planned route or lookup). Information may be received basedon preferences including location (e.g., as defined by geography fromaddress, zip code, or GPS coordinates), planned travel routes (e.g., GPSalerts), activity associated with co-owned/shared vehicles, history,news feeds, and the like. The information (i.e., received or processedinformation) may also be uplinked to another system for furtherprocessing to discover additional information that may be used toimprove the understanding of the information. The machine learningsystem 180 may also warn other vehicles of the presence of pests in thearea, and link to other devices such as smart phones, smart homesystems, or Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices. The machine learningsystem 180 may thereby provide additional warnings to users and activateand/or leverage other external devices such as cameras or sensors toassist with pest detection and provide potential countermeasures forpest prevention. In at least some examples, warning may be provided tothird parties including, for example, pest services, parking lotauthorities, emergency services, and other users including those who maynot have the system.

FIG. 2 provides a more detailed example of a vehicle pest detection anderadication system 200. The illustrated vehicle pest detection anderadication system 200 may be readily substituted for the vehicle pestdetection and eradication system 130, as discussed above with respect toFIG. 1. In the illustrated example, the system 200 includes a faultdetection subsystem 202, a sensor detection subsystem 204, aneradication subsystem 206, and a driver warning system 208, and anoptional machine learning subsystem 210. The system 200 also includes anelectronic control unit (ECU) 212, a sensor control interface 214, acountermeasure interface 216, a user interface (UI) device(s) interface218, a cabin monitor interface 220, a vehicle state interface 222, atimer interface 224, and a Monitoring as a Service (MaaS) subsysteminterface 226. The fault detection subsystem 202 (202 a, 202 b) having aprocessor 202 a (e.g., embedded controller, central processing unit/CPU)and a memory 202 b (e.g., non-volatile memory/NVM and/or volatilememory) containing a set of instructions, which when executed by theprocessor 202 a, cause the fault detection subsystem 202 to detect afault or failure of one or more ECUs 110 of a vehicle 100 to determinewhether the fault or failure of the ECU 110 is consistent with apest-related cause. The fault detection subsystem 202 may monitorphysical and electrical properties (e.g., temperature, voltage, current,charge state, resistance, etc.) of the ECUs 212, and perform lookups ofknown or expected physical and electrical properties. The faultdetection subsystem 202 may also provide a warning or alert to the uservia the driver warning system 170, e.g., via UI devices interface 218,when the physical or electrical properties are found to be inconsistentwith an expected reading or outside a known or expected range. Thewarning or alert may include informing the driver of the fault orfailure. The waring or alert may also include information related to thedrivability of the vehicle in light of the fault or failure (i.e.,vehicle is drivable, vehicle is not drivable, etc.), and instructions toreplace or repair a defective component, consult a repair technician ormechanic, and the like. The detection of a fault or failure may alsotrigger the sensor detection subsystem to determine if any pests arepresent in the vehicle including at or near the defective component(consistent with the discussion related to sensor detection subsystem204 below). The lookup may be performed periodically, continually, orupon initiation based on user preferences. User preferences and alertsmay also be entered and displayed via UI devices interface 218. Thealert may also trigger an additional lookup of known or expected causesincluding conditions that are known to be consistent with pest-relateddamage based on the physical and electrical properties.

The sensor detection subsystem 204 (204 a, 204 b) having a processor 204a (e.g., embedded controller, central processing unit/CPU) and a memory204 b (e.g., non-volatile memory/NVM and/or volatile memory) containinga set of instructions, which when executed by the processor 204 a, causethe sensor detection subsystem 204 to detect a presence of one or morepests. The pests may be detected within a user defined space or areadefined set by user selections and settings including, for example,within a passenger cabin, within an engine compartment, at or near anECU, within a defined proximity of the vehicle, etc. Sensor controlinterface 214 may receive user selections and settings related to one ormore of various sensor devices (not shown) such as sensor devices ofsensor array 150 including, for example, cameras 150 a, LIDAR sensors150 b, RADAR sensors 150 c, motion sensors 150 d, sound sensors 150 e,heat sensors 150 f, and other sensors 150 g. Activity detected by thevarious sensor devices may also be output to a user via a user interface(e.g., a display, user interface (UI), human-machine interface (HMI), orthe like) via UI devices interface 218. The sensor selections andsettings may include, for example, a frequency of readings (e.g.,continual, periodic, user activated, time defined, action defined (e.g.,prior to ignition activation, upon startup of engine, upon shutoff ofengine, etc.), and the like. Sensor selections and settings may alsodefine the sensitivity (e.g., ON/OFF, Low, Med, High, etc.) andoperating ranges of the sensors.

The eradication subsystem 206 (206 a, 206 b) having a processor 206 a(e.g., embedded controller, central processing unit/CPU) and a memory206 b (e.g., non-volatile memory/NVM and/or volatile memory) containinga set of instructions, which when executed by the processor 206 a, causethe eradication subsystem 206 to detect a presence of one or more pests.Sensor control interface 214 may receive user selections and settingsrelated to one or more of various sensor devices (not shown) includingcameras, LiDAR sensors, RADAR sensors, motion sensors, etc. Activitydetected by the various sensor devices may also be output tocountermeasure interface 216 or UI devices interface 218 forpresentation to the driver. The sensor selections and settings mayinclude a frequency of readings (e.g., continual, periodic, useractivated, time defined, action defined (e.g., prior to ignitionactivation, upon startup of engine, upon shutoff of engine, etc.), andthe like. Sensor selections and settings may also define the sensitivity(e.g., ON/OFF, Low, Med, High, etc.) and operating ranges of the sensorsto be used to remediate specified pests. As an example, a laser may bedesignated to target small pests such as crawling bugs, spiders, mice,and the like. An electrical discharge insect control system may bedesignated to exterminate flying insects such as mosquitoes, houseflies, and the like. Vibration or sound may be used to target one ormore large pests such as squirrels, rats, snakes, and/or other rodents.These sensor selections and settings are provided as examples. Othersensor selections may be set based on user preferences includingcombinations of sensors to provide countermeasures to remediate detectedpests. The detection of pests may also cause one or more countermeasuresto be provided to the driver via countermeasure interface 216 toremediate the detected pests. The countermeasures presented to driverare to be consistent with the discussion of countermeasures disclosedherein, and are to be selected to avoid unintended harm. Moreparticularly, the countermeasure options presented to the driver includedevices selected to avoid causing any harm, damage or injury other thanto the intended pests. The eradication subsystem selects and uses theeradication devices 160 to prevent and remediate the detected pestswhile also preventing damage, injury, and/or discomfort to people, pets,or property (including to the vehicle and vehicle components).

The eradication subsystem 206 may communicate with various subsystems,components and interfaces of system 200 in order to safely andeffectively perform pest detection and eradication. For example, theeradication subsystem may communicate with all components of system 200including countermeasure interface 216, UI devices interface 218, cabinmonitor interface 220, a vehicle state interface 222, a timer interface224, and MaaS subsystem interface 226. System 200 may providerecommended countermeasures based on detected pest activity viacountermeasure interface 216 and/or UI devices interface 218 forpresentation to the driver or user. Countermeasure interface 216 mayalso allow the driver or user to provide user settings and selectionsrelated to the various eradication devices 160 (160 a-160 e) including,for example, device-pest countermeasure pairings (i.e., which device isto be used to remediate which pests), and eradication device safetysettings (e.g., device activation, activation restrictions, vehiclelockout, timing limitations, etc.). The sensor selections and settingsmay include a frequency of readings (e.g., continual, periodic, useractivated, time defined, action defined (e.g., prior to ignitionactivation, upon startup of engine, upon shutoff of engine, etc.), andthe like. The cabin monitor interface 220 may communicate with variouscabin sensors (not shown) such as, for example, cameras, motion sensors,microphones, seat occupancy (i.e. pressure) sensors, facial recognitionsensors, seat belt sensors, and the like to determine whether the cabinof the vehicle is vacant or occupied. The vehicle state interface 222may also communicate with various vehicle state sensors to determine anoverall state of the vehicle. The sensors may include, for example, anengine controller, a transmission controller, speed sensor, an onboardelectrical system, window controller, door lock controller,HVAC/ventilation system, and the like, and allow the system 200 todetermine whether the engine is ON or OFF, whether the transmission isin drive or is parked, the speed of the vehicle, whether the windows areup or down, and whether the cabin is being ventilated by the HVACsystem, as well as other vehicle state inputs that might affect theability and appropriateness of perform pest remediation. The timerinterface 224 may also communicate with various system components toprovide timing control functions related to the subsystems 202-210 andinterfaces 216-226.

The driver warning subsystem 208 (208 a, 2048) having a processor 208 a(e.g., embedded controller, central processing unit/CPU) and a memory208 b (e.g., non-volatile memory/NVM and/or volatile memory) containinga set of instructions, which when executed by the processor 208 a, causethe sensor detection subsystem 208 to detect a presence of one or morepests. Upon detection of a fault or failure by the fault detectionsubsystem 202, and/or upon the detection of the presence of one or morepests by the sensor detection subsystem 204, the driver warningsubsystem may provide a warning of the presence and severity of one ormore pests within or proximate the vehicle 100. Upon detection of pests,the driver warning subsystem 208 may cause a warning, alert, ornotification to be issued to a driver or user of the vehicle 100. Thewarning may be provided to the driver, for example, on a display or HMIvia the countermeasure interface 216 or UI devices interface 218. Thewarning may be associated with one or more recommended countermeasuresto remediate the fault, failure or detected pest.

The machine learning subsystem 210 (210 a, 210 b) having a processor 210a (e.g., embedded controller, central processing unit/CPU) and a memory210 b (e.g., non-volatile memory/NVM and/or volatile memory) containinga set of instructions, which when executed by the processor 210 a, causethe machine learning subsystem 210 to receive information from one ormore other vehicles, and process the received information to determineif pest populations are changing in an area in which the vehicle 100 islocated. The machine learning subsystem 210 may communicate with andcollect information from subsystems 202-208 (including sensors, devices)and component/interfaces 212-226 in order to provide a deeperunderstanding of the monitored activities of the subsystems, componentsand interfaces. The machine learning subsystem 210 may utilize thecapabilities of the Monitoring as a Service (MaaS) interface 226 tofacilitate the deployment of monitoring functionalities in a cloudenvironment. The MaaS interface 226 allows the machine learningsubsystem 210 to track the states of systems, subsystems, and associatedapplications, networks, and the like within the cloud. The one or moreother vehicles from which the machine learning subsystem receivesinformation may include, for example, vehicles in a user-defined area(e.g., addresses, neighborhoods, zip codes, cities, etc.), vehicles thatare owned or shared by the user, vehicles along an upcoming or expectedtravel route (e.g., based on GPS coordinates), and the like. Thereceived information may allow users to better monitor and recognizepatterns and changes in pest populations and activities in monitoredareas. The machine learning subsystem 210 may also link to other devicesincluding, for example, smart phones, smart homes, or Internet-of-Things(IoT) devices to provide a warning to a user and to leverage otherexternal cameras or sensors to assist with pest detection, and torecommend potential countermeasures for pest prevention. The machinelearning subsystem 210 may thereby expand the capabilities of system 200by using or leveraging the capabilities of other approved user devices.As an example, warnings and alerts may be provided to the user via anassociated smart phone or connected computer. Similarly, smart homedevices such as cameras, motion sensors, and other detectors may be usedto assist with monitoring pest activity near one or more vehicles (e.g.,a garage or parking area), within an associated home, and the like. As aresult, the detection capabilities of system 200 are expanded andimproved. The machine learning subsystem 210 thereby allows vehicles tofunction as mobile information collection and sharing nodes that arecapable of collecting, sharing and focusing pest related informationover wide areas to provide a deeper understanding of pest activity. Thisinformation thereby provides users with a better opportunity to planfor, avoid, and remediate pest in and around their vehicles such thatcostly damage caused by the pests can be reduced or eliminated.

FIG. 3 shows a method 300 of operating a vehicle pest detection anderadication system such as, for example, the system 130 (FIG. 1) and/orthe system 200 (FIG. 2). The method 300 may be implemented in logicinstructions (e.g., software), configurable logic, fixed-functionalityhardware logic, etc., or any combination thereof. Illustrated processingblock 302 determines whether a fault or failure has been detected. Ifso, processing block 304 determines whether the fault or failure isconsistent with pest or rodent related damage. If “No” at processingblock 306, the fault and failure detection process ends. If “Yes” atprocessing block 304, processing block 306 provides a notification orwarning informing the driver or user of the determination and the faultor failure detection process ends. In an embodiment, the system 300 alsoperforms pest detection and eradication steps. At processing block 308,a determination is made whether one or more pests or rodents have beendetected. If “No” at processing block 308, the pest detection anderadication process ends. If “Yes” at processing block 308, atprocessing block 310 a determination is made of whether the location ofthe pest or rodent is determined. If “No” at processing block 310, theprocess returns to processing block 308. If “Yes” at processing block310, at processing block 312 a determination is made whether the type ofpest or rodent is determined (i.e., a category of pest or a specifictype of pest is determined). If “No” at processing block 312, theprocess returns to processing block 308. If “Yes” at processing block312, at processing block 314 recommended countermeasures are provided tothe driver or user. At processing block 316, a determination is madewhether it is safe to initiate the recommended countermeasures. Thisdetermination may include determining whether the vehicle is locked,whether doors and windows are closed, whether the vehicle is vacant,whether the vehicle is parked, whether the engine compartment is closedand/or locked, and the like. If “No” at processing block 316, theprocess loops and determines when it is safe to initiate the recommendedcountermeasures. This step may also include allowing the driver or userto delay the initiation of the countermeasures based on user setting andselections (e.g., a specified time, schedule, upon stopping, uponevacuating the vehicle, etc.). The driver or user may also change,alter, adjust, override and/or cancel the recommended countermeasures.If “Yes” at processing block 316, at processing block 318 thecountermeasures are activated and the process terminates. Theillustrated process 300 thereby improves safety by allowing for thedetection of system faults and failures, and detecting and remediatingpests located in or near the vehicle.

FIG. 4 shows a method 400 of maintaining a vehicle in a safe state. Themethod 400 may generally be implemented in a vehicle pest detection anderadication system such as, for example, the system 130 (FIG. 1) and/orthe system 200 (FIG. 2). Additionally, the method 400 may be readilysubstituted for processing block 316 (FIG. 3), already discussed. In anembodiment, the method 400 is implemented in logic instructions (e.g.,software), configurable logic, fixed-functionality hardware logic, etc.,or any combination thereof. Illustrated processing block 402 activates atimer in response to an override request that is received beforeexpiration of a predetermined cycle time associated with the initiationof countermeasures (i.e., activation of one or more eradication devices)such as eradication devices 160 a-160 e in vehicle 100. Thecountermeasures may be initiated, for example, in a passenger cabin, inan engine compartment, near an ECU, and the like. A determination may bemade at processing block 404 as to whether the timer has expired. If“Yes” at processing block 404, the illustrated method 400 issues anunlock signal via, for example, a vehicle state interface (e.g. vehiclestate interface 222) at processing block 406 and the method 400terminates. In one example, such as, when a control substance has beenused (e.g., with the initiation of control substance system 160 e),processing block 404 may also open all windows and turn on an HVACsystem to assist with the ventilation of the passenger cabin for apredetermined period of time prior to proceeding to processing block 406(e.g., as an extra level of safety protection).

If it is determined at processing block 404 that the timer has notexpired, illustrated processing block 408 determines whether anemergency services override may exist. In at least one embodiment, theemergency services override may be associated with a need to enter thevehicle in situations that are potentially more harmful than exposure toan eradication device (e.g., exposure to relatively low levels ofodorous or nauseous gas when the vehicle is blocking a fire hydrantduring a fire). If an emergency services override is detected, theillustrated method 400 proceeds to processing block 406. If no emergencyservice override is detected, the method 400 may return to processingblock 404.

FIG. 5 shows a method 500 of controlling the initiation of aneradication. The method 500 may generally be implemented in a vehiclepest detection and eradication system such as, for example, the system130 (FIG. 1) and/or the system 200 (FIG. 2). In an embodiment, themethod 500 is implemented in logic instructions (e.g., software),configurable logic, fixed-functionality hardware logic, etc., or anycombination thereof. Illustrated processing block 502 determines whetheran activation request for countermeasures (i.e., activation of one ormore eradication devices) such as eradication devices 160 a-160 e hasbeen detected. If “Yes” at processing block 502, processing block 504triggers initiation of one or more eradication devices such as, forexample, the method 400 (FIG. 4), already discussed. If “No” atprocessing block 502 no activation request is detected, processing block506 may determine whether the vehicle is in a downtime state (e.g., viathe vehicle state interface 222 and/or MaaS subsystem interface 226). Ifso, the method 500 proceeds to processing block 504 and initiates one ormore eradication devices. If the vehicle is not in the Maas downtimestate, illustrated processing block 508 determines whether the vehicleis an EV currently in the charging state. If so, a determination is madeat processing block 510 as to whether the EV battery level is sufficientto complete the predetermined cycle time. If “Yes” at processing block510, the method 500 bypasses block 504 and terminates. Otherwise, themethod 500 proceeds to block 504 and initiates one or more eradicationdevices. The method 500 thereby achieves enhanced performance in termsof more facilitates the effective eradication of pests while ensuringoccupant safety by automatically identifying eradication opportunities.

The term and phrase “communication” and “in communication”,respectively, may be used herein to refer to any type of relationship,direct or indirect, between the systems, subsystems, and components inquestion, and may apply to electrical, mechanical, fluid, optical,electromagnetic, electromechanical or other connections. In addition,the terms “system” and “subsystem” may be used interchangeably hereinand may not be rigidly defined schematically unless otherwise indicated.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate from the foregoing descriptionthat the broad techniques of the embodiments of the present disclosurecan be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while theembodiments have been described in connection with particular examplesthereof, the true scope of the embodiments of the invention should notbe so limited since other modifications will become apparent to theskilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings, specification, andfollowing claims.

We claim:
 1. A vehicle pest detection and eradication system, the systemcomprising: a fault detection subsystem to detect a fault or failure ofan electronic control unit (ECU), wherein the fault or failure isdetermined to be consistent with a pest-related cause; a sensordetection subsystem to detect a presence of one or more pests, whereinthe sensor detection subsystem includes one or more of: one or morecameras, one or more LiDAR sensors, one or more RADAR sensors, one ormore motion sensors, one or more sound sensors, or one or more heatsensors; and an eradication subsystem to provide countermeasures todisable, remove, or eradicate the one or more pests from the vehicle. 2.The system of claim 1, wherein the eradication subsystem includes one ormore of: one or more lasers to target the one or more small pests; anelectrical discharge insect control system to exterminate one or moreinsects; and a vibration or sound emission system to target one or morerodents or other large pests.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein theeradication subsystem includes one or more physical barriers to preventthe one or more pests from accessing the ECU, other electrical systems,or physical systems, wherein the one or more physical barriers includesair locks.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein: the eradication subsystemincludes a control substance system to release a gas, liquid spray, ordeterrent material in or around the vehicle, and the control substancesystem is to be activated only after a user lockout is initiated, and toventilate the vehicle for a period of time before the user lockout isterminated.
 5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a warningsystem to warn a driver of a presence and a severity of the one or morepests, wherein the severity is to be used to determine a responseincluding one or more of the countermeasures.
 6. The system of claim 1,further comprising: a machine learning module to: receive informationfrom one or more vehicles; and process the received information todetermine if pest populations are changing in an area in which thevehicle is located.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the machinelearning module is further to: warn one or more other vehicles of thepresence of pests in the area; link to other devices, the other devicesincluding a smart phone, a smart home, or an Internet-of-Things (IoT)device to provide a warning to a user and to utilize other externalcameras or sensors to assist with pest detection; and recommendpotential countermeasures for pest prevention.
 8. At least one computerreadable storage medium comprising a set of instructions, which whenexecuted by a computing device, cause the computing to: detect, via afault detection subsystem, a fault or failure of an electronic controlunit (ECU), wherein the fault or failure is determined to be consistentwith a pest-related cause; detect, via a sensor detection subsystem, thepresence of one or more pests, wherein the sensor detection subsystemincludes one or more of: one or more cameras, one or more LiDAR sensors,one or more RADAR sensors, one or more motion sensors, one or more soundsensors, or one or more heat sensors; and provide, via an eradicationsubsystem, countermeasures to disable, remove or eradicate the one ormore pests from the vehicle.
 9. The at least one computer readablestorage medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed,cause the computing device to: target the one or more small pests viaone or more lasers; exterminate insects via an electrical dischargeinsect control system; or target one or more rodents or other largepests via a vibration or sound emission system.
 10. The at least onecomputer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions,when executed, cause the computing device to prevent pests fromaccessing the ECU or other electrical systems via one or more physicalbarriers, wherein the one or more physical barriers includes air locks.11. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 8,wherein: the instructions, when executed, cause the computing device torelease a gas, liquid spray, or deterrent material in or around thevehicle via a control substance system, the control substance system isto be activated only after a user lockout is initiated, and to ventilatethe vehicle for a period of time before the user lockout is terminated.12. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 8,wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computing device towarn the driver of a presence and a severity of one or more pests via awarning system, wherein the severity is to be used to determine aresponse including one or more suggested countermeasures.
 13. The atleast one computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein theinstructions, when executed, cause the computing device to: receiveinformation from one or more vehicles; and process the receivedinformation to determine if pest populations are changing in the definedarea.
 14. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 13,wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computing device to:warn one or more other vehicles of the presence of pests in the definedarea; link to other devices including a smart phone, a smart home, or anInternet-of-Things (IoT) device to provide a warning to a user and toutilize other external cameras or sensors to assist with pest detection;and recommend potential countermeasures for pest prevention.
 15. Amethod of operating a vehicle pest detection and eradication systemcomprising: detecting, via a fault detection subsystem, a fault orfailure of an electronic control unit (ECU), wherein the fault orfailure is determined to be consistent with a pest-related cause;detecting, via a sensor detection subsystem, the presence of one or morepests, wherein the sensor detection subsystem includes one or more of:one or more cameras, one or more LiDAR sensors, one or more RADARsensors, one or more motion sensors, one or more sound sensors, or oneor more heat sensors; and providing, via an eradication subsystem,countermeasures to disable, remove or eradicate the one or more pestsfrom the vehicle.
 16. The method of claim 15, including at least one of:targeting the one or more small pests via one or more lasers;exterminating insects via an electrical discharge insect control systempowered by the vehicle; and targeting one or more rodents or other largepests via a vibration or sound emission system.
 17. The method of claim15, comprising preventing pests from accessing the ECU or otherelectrical systems via one or more physical barriers, wherein the one ormore physical barriers includes air locks.
 18. The method of claim 15,comprising releasing a gas, liquid spray or deterrent material in oraround the vehicle, wherein the control substance system is to beactivated only after a user lockout is initiated, and to ventilate thevehicle for a period of time before the user lockout is terminated. 19.The method of claim 15, comprising warning the driver of a presence anda severity of one or more pests, wherein the severity is to be used todetermine a response including one or more suggested countermeasures.20. The method of claim 15, comprising: receiving information from oneor more vehicles; processing the received information to determine ifpest populations are changing in a defined area; warning one or moreother vehicles of the presence of pests in the defined area; linking toother devices including a smart phone, a smart home, or anInternet-of-Things (IoT) device to provide a warning to a user and toutilize other external cameras or sensors to assist with pest detection;and automatically determining potential countermeasures for pestprevention.